UPA govt caused hardships to Pondy govt: Rangasamy

Puducherry, Apr 2: Lambasting Congress-led

government for causing "severe hardships" and fiscal crisis to the Union Territory by declining to earmark funds or delaying allocations, Chief Minister N Rangasamy today called for a change of guard at the Centre with

under

.

He also alleged that Union Minister and Congress candidate V Narayanasamy had been chiefly instrumental for various hiccups in running the government here.

"UPA government has caused severe hardships and fiscal crisis to Puducherry government. Though Narayanasamy is a Minister in the UPA government, he did not bring in development but stood in the way of getting funds on time for development programmes," he said, addressing AINRC party workers after opening an election office at nearby Uzhavarkarai.

The Chief Minister said the UPA government should be replaced by NDA under Modi and pointed out that the ruling AINRC is part of the NDA here. Rangasamy alleged that when plan proposals were placed before UPA government, there was delay in deciding allocations.

Similarly, when schemes were evolved for implementation, there was intervention and the Centre sought to replace officials, he said.

"There were instances of my government getting Central sanction of funds for plans just a few days before the fiscal year comes to a close. The Centre would also ask us to mobilise loans to meet most of our needs though only a few days would be left to fund schemes within the financial year," he said.

Rangasamy also said the Centre had been imposing several new procedures on them to distribute financial aid to the poor and the aged, one of which directed that payment of monthly assistance to the aged be operated through bank accounts.

He said the country would register huge progress under a NDA government headed by Modi, adding that "we should also be part of the incoming dispensation".

PTI